Panel structure



Nov. 22;, 1938. MUSSEY I 2,137,623

PANEL S TRUC TUR E Filed April 22, 1937 INVENTOR. DELAVANJ. Muaasv'.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 22,- 1938 UNITED STATES PANEL STRUCTURE Delavan S. Massey,New Kensington, Pa., as-

signor to Aluminum Company oi America,- Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporationof Pennsylvania Application April 22, 1937, Serial No. 138,384

8 Claims. ,(Cl. 189-34) This invention relates to panel structures, andparticularly to the type generally referred to as bulkhead panels.

The structures of this invention are particular- 1y well suited andadapted for use in car construction, especially where it is desirablethat there be a minimum amount of noise, such as in Pullman cars. Theart has endeavored to attain this desideratum, but quite generallystructural stability has been sacrificed in arriving at a suitablesound-deadening unit, or the latter has been impossible to attain due torequirements of safety-in car construction.

One object of this invention is to. provide a having an insulationsection which serves the double purpose of reducing heat conductivitythrough the panel, and also affords an extremely efiicientsound-deadening unit,'in that there is an absence of metal-to-metalcontact between the various parts of the structure.

These and other objects of this invention will be apparent upon readingthe specification and the accompanying drawing, wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout, and where- Fig. 1 is a plan view of .thepanel broken vertically and horizontally;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the panel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view in detail.

Referring to the drawing, reference character I designates the metalsheets from which the panel is formed. Intermediate these sheets andequally spaced throughout the length of the panel are structural members2, which act as strengthening means. As clearly shown in Fig, 2, members2 serve an additional purpose in that they provide an air space betweensheets I, thereby reducing heat conduction through the structure. Thestiffening members 2 may be of various forms, but the preferred form isthe Z-type, as shown. The legs 3 and 4 of the stiffening membersparallel the inner face of the sheet metal members I. Immediatelyadjacent the legs 4 are brackets 5, one leg 6 of which is secured topanel structure which can be quickly and easily the members I, the otherleg 1 being somewhat ofiset, as shown, and forming a recess or pocketwith the sheet for the reception of the legs 4.

Prior to thisinvention, various means were employed for securingstifleners between panel sheets. In some instances, they were secureddirectly to the sheet members by rivets, bolts, or

spot welding, and resulted in a structure particularly susceptible tovibratory noise. In other instances, attempts have been made to form aunitary structure by using an adhesive only, and the results of suchassembly have given perhaps a sound-proof structure, but surely astructure insuflicient in strength.

This invention, however, provides a novel method of securing the variousparts together, and afiords a unitary structure in which there is nometal-to-metal contact between the panel sheets, except where the spotsof the welds join the stiffenersto the sheets. The remaining area ofcontact between the stifieners and sheets is covered with a resilientadhesive which surrounds the welds, thereby prohibiting the noiseattendant upon contact of two flat metallic sheets with surprisingeffect. l The preferred method of securing the stiifeners to the sheetsin the present invention consists of using a resilient adhesive, such asa relatively slow drying rubber cement, between -cer' tain of the partsthereof, and in spot welding through a resilient adhesive placed betweencertain of the other parts. Referring tothe drawing, outer legs 3 of theZ-type stifieners 2, and outer legs 6 of the brackets 5, are secured toopposite sheets I by placing a resilient adhesive between the respectivemembers and 'spot welding the members together through the adhesive.Between the inner legs 4 of the stiffening members 2 and the inner legs1 of the brackets 5 there is placed a resilient adhesive only. It willthus be appreciated that there is a layer of resilient adhesive betweenall adjacent members, thereby producing a structure having excellentcharacteristics for sound-deadening purposes.

At either end of the panel, channel members 8, as best shown in Fig. 2,serve to unitarily join the sheets, and are secured to the sheets by thesame double bond as above described; namely,

' spot welding through a resilient adhesive placed between the legs ofthe members and opposite sheets. a

I claim:

1. A sound-deadening panel structure comprising spaced and opposedsheets, co-acting structural stifiening members disposed between saidsheets and secured thereto through the prising spaced and opposedsheets, co-acting structural stifiening members disposed between saidsheets, means for securing said members to said sheets comprising aresilient adhesive and spot welds, said adhesive encircling said weldsand completely covering the remaining area of contact between saidmembers and said sheets.

3. A sound-deadening panel structure comprising spaced and opposedsheets, means for strengthening said structure comprising co-actingstructural members secured to the oppositely disposed sheets through themedium of a resilient adhesive and spot welds, said welds extendingthrough said resilient adhesive.

4. A sound-deadening panel structure comprising spaced and opposedsheets, co-acting structural stiffening members having parallel legsdisposed between said sheets, one leg of each said member being securedto said opposite sheets through the medium of a resilient adhesive andspot welds, the remaining legs of said members forming a jointintermediate said other legs and secured together by a resilientadhesive.

5. A sound-deadening panel structure comprising spaced and opposedsheets, a structural shape having one of its parallel legs secured tothe inner face of one of said sheets, a bracket having one of itsparallel legs secured to the inner face of another of said sheets andforming a pocket with said sheet for the reception of the remaining legof said structural shape, the outer leg of said structural shape andsaid bracket being secured to said sheets through the medium of aresilient adhesive and spot welds,

the inner legs being bonded together through the medium of a resilientadhesive.

6. A sound-deadening panel structure comprising spaced and opposedsheets, co-acting structural stifiening members disposed between saidsheets, means for securing said members together comprising a resilientadhesive, means for securing said members to said sheets comprising aresilient adhesive and spot welds, said adhesive encircling said weldsand completely 1 covering the remaining area of contact between saidmembers and said sheets.

7. A sound-deadening panel structure comprising spaced and opposedsheets, means for strengthening said structure comprising intermediatelydisposed co-acting structural mem bers secured to said sheets throughthe medium of a resilient adhesive and spot welds, said re silientadhesive encircling said welds and covering the remaining area ofcontact between said members and said sheets, thereby forming aresilient bond and sound-deadening film between the same.

8. A sound-deadening panel structure comprising spaced and opposedsheets, means for strengthening said structure comprising intermediatelydisposed co-acting structural members, means for securing said memberstogether comprising a resilient adhesive, means for securing saidmembers to said sheets comprising a resilient adhesive and spot welds,said resilient adhesive encircling said welds and covering the remainingarea of contact between said members and said sheets, said adhesivethereby forming a resilient bond and sound-deadening film intermediatesaid sheets.

DELAVAN S. MUSSEY.

